Legal Counsel

We, Wageningen University & Research, are looking for a legal counsel with experience in an R&D environment and fluency in Dutch. Are you our new colleague?

You will ensure that researchers can develop knowledge in research projects with clear legal agreements, focusing on drafting contracts and maintaining legal quality. This involves:

• advising management, chair groups, and business development on contractual agreements with research partners;
• drafting and reviewing contracts between Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and domestic and international research partners. This includes matters such as intellectual property, grants, confidentiality, liability, etc. The contracts vary widely, including large, complex consortia between WUR and multinational companies in the food sector. The scope of the department covers the full contract handling with domestic and international (market) parties and is highly diverse, ranging from substantial grant projects to applied research for SMEs and multinationals;
• (Co-)developing and maintaining WUR-wide legal formats, such as general terms and conditions and model agreements;
• together with the manager and other lawyers, contributing to the development of legal policy within WUR in specific working groups, and participating in WUR-wide legal consultations on operational and substantive matters and relevant developments.

WUR consists of five parts. You will work within the Agrotechnology and Food Science Group (AFSG). In addition to providing education to students, we also function as a research institute. We conduct research on all aspects of food that influence human health. This includes research on the potential for improving certain nutritional values by using different raw materials in animal feed at the beginning of the food chain. We cannot conduct this research alone, which is why we have partners with whom we collaborate. To ensure the proper distribution of revenue from this research, as well as the proper allocation of knowledge ownership, we aim to expand our legal team.

The team consists of 12 colleagues, including 5 lawyers and 4 contract managers/paralegals who provide (administrative) support to the lawyers, a privacy officer, a grant advisor, and a manager. The team atmosphere is informal and collegial. In addition to your team colleagues, you will frequently interact with other departments within WUR, as well as with companies for whom we conduct research or with whom we collaborate in research.

We are looking for a lawyer who is passionate about research, understands the interests of different partners in collaborative projects, and has a solution-oriented mindset.

Additionally:

• you have a degree in Dutch law and at least 3 years of work experience in a legal role;
• you have excellent command of both the English and Dutch languages, both written and spoken;
• you have strong communication skills;
• you can work under pressure and meet deadlines;
• you are precise;
• preferably, you have experience as a legal counsel within a knowledge organization or a company with R&D;
• you have a solid knowledge of contract law, with a focus on IP, subsidies, state aid, liability. Knowledge of privacy law is a plus.

In our international work environment, communication is increasingly in English. For this role, a C1 level of English proficiency is required. If you have not yet achieved this level, we will naturally assist you, and you can take courses at our language center, Wageningen in'to Language.

You can see that there are plenty of challenges ahead for you. These challenges can also be seen as development opportunities. So, if you do not yet have the track record that the position requires but do have solid work experience, we would also like to invite you to apply.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• working hours that can be determined in consultation, allowing an optimal work-life balance;
• the possibility of accruing extra compensation hours by working more;
• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partly paid parental leave;
• a strong focus on vitality, and you can use the campus sports facilities at an attractive rate;
• an annual year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• an excellent pension scheme through ABP.

In addition to these excellent secondary employment conditions, you will also receive a suitable salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive salary ranging from a minimum of €3,830 to a maximum of €5,949 for a full 36-hour work week, according to the CAO Wageningen Research (scale 11). Initially, we offer you a one-year contract, which can be extended upon mutual enthusiasm. We are, of course, happy to discuss any questions you may have.

Wageningen University & Research promotes internal career development and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are many opportunities for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we offer excellent training opportunities. You will have a varied job in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, at a university that has been chosen as the "best university" in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive year.

Wageningen University & Research The mission of Wageningen University & Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life." Wageningen University and the specialized research institutes of Wageningen Research Foundation join forces to contribute to solving important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With around 30 locations, 7,600 employees (6,700 FTE), 13,100 students, and over 150,000 lifelong learning participants, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading knowledge institutions worldwide in its field. The integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between various disciplines are at the heart of the unique Wageningen approach.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

We are recruiting for this vacancy ourselves. Acquisition is not appreciated, but sharing within your network is.